Anne Feighery, a doctoral candidate in the International Educational Development Program at Teachers College, has launched an effort to get the New York City public schools to make sure students have outdoor recess on a consistent basis through the winter months. Currently, NYC schools policy leaves it up principals to decide whether children will be allowed to go out for recess, often when the temperature drops below 40 degrees. That, Feighery says, can lead to children not getting outdoor recess for weeks, as was the case with her second-grade son. 

Feighery’s efforts are reported in a story at Gothamschools.org. You can read the article at http://gothamschools.org/2009/05/05/a-parent-like-others-before-her-is-pushing-for-cold-weather-play/.

Published Thursday, May. 7, 2009